Museum Studies

Several degree options ranging up to an MPhil or a PhD in research may be earned in one of several programs of museum, galley, and heritage studies that are offered in the School of Arts and Culture.

The International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (ICCHS) is a leading academic centre for research and teaching in museum, gallery, and heritage studies. The taught postgraduate programs are vocational, providing students from all over the world with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to work in a variety of roles, from curators, education officers and managers to cultural policy makers. The programs benefit from the Center's experience in and engagement with the museum, gallery and heritage sector: it works closely with sector professionals both in the delivery of teaching and on research initiatives and on providing advice and consultancy for the sector.

Students develop a holistic view of the sector, focusing on everything from ancient castles to contemporary art galleries; after this, students specialize in specific areas. Students are equipped for work both in single areas (e.g. art or history curatorship) and between different kinds of organizations.

Student may earn a MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies. The program is continually being reviewed and developed in response to new research and shifts in museum practice. Throughout the degree, you will examine diverse of museum theory and practice, visit museums, galleries and cultural organisations, and have many opportunities to discuss ideas and issues with professionals and academics in the field. One of the most popular aspects of the AGMS is the work placement that you undertake in a museum or gallery. Each placement involves a minimum of 20 days work on a specific project, such as exhibition developmoent, collections management, or education programme. Many students find this such a positive experience that they carry on working in their museum when the work placement has finished, and each year a few students are offered jobs by their placement hosts.

Students may take courses to earn one of several degrees: BA History of Art with Gallery and Museum Studies, MA Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, or an MA Museum Studies. In addition, the university offers three research degrees: Masters by Research, MPhil, and the PhD.

Program entails the study of museums, their history, purpose and contemporary development.  Taught modules on the Theory and Practice of Museums are balanced with practical projects based either on the museum collections of this 600-year-old university, or at a local museum or gallery. Structured visits are an essential part of the programme and we are well placed for visiting museums, art galleries, historic houses, ships and other heritage sites.

A one-year full-time Graduate Diploma/MLitt course is aimed at students wanting to start a career in museum or gallery work, and at those looking for a mid-career change. Although the course is based in the School of Art History, applicants can have a degree in any subject. An essential and rewarding aspect of this programme is the opportunity for students to work together to create an exhibition at the University's Gateway Gallery or the St Andrews Museum.

A part-time version of the Graduate Diploma/MLitt course, which is run every two years, is aimed at museum and gallery employees (or committed volunteers) who wish to study while continuing with their work. Much of the coursework is done in the students' own workplaces, but participants come to St Andrews for four one-week residential schools over two years. Completion of a dissertation takes a further five months.

The University of Delaware offerings for those seeking training for a career in museum work: a Certificate in Museum Studies to students enrolled in a number of Masters' or Ph.D. programs, Undergraduate Material Culture Preservation Major in the Arts Conservation Program, an MS in Art Conservation in the Arts Conservation Program, a PhD in Preservation Studies. The School of Public Policy and Administration offers an MA in Historic Preservation and a twelve-credit hour Certificate Program in Historic Preservation.

• The Certificate of Museum Studies (a 12-credit program) is available to students enrolled in a degree granting graduate program at the University, such as a Masters’ or Ph.D. program in History, Urban Affairs and Public Policy (UAPP), Education, Art History, Art Conservation, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts Liberal Studies (MALS), Fashion Apparel, the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, and the Longwood Graduate Program.  Students take a minimum of 9 credit hours of classes and complete a three - credit internship to receive the Certificate in Museum Studies. Instructors include distinguished professionals from area museums as well as university faculty. Ensuring Quality in the Future Our mission is to help ensure the future of museums and related cultural institutions by educating graduate students who either plan careers in public arts and humanities or will collaborate with cultural institutions as part of future academic careers. While receiving excellent training in their home academic disciplines, Museum Studies students also develop their understanding of the ethical frameworks that guide museums and other cultural not-for-profit organizations. They become knowledgeable in administrative, curatorial, and educational practice. Most important, they understand the challenges faced by cultural institutions in the twenty-first century.

• The Art Conservation Department offers an undergraduate degree in Material Culture Preservation that prepares students for graduate-level study in conservation, historic preservation, museum studies, library science, or other allied fields. Material Culture includes objects made or modified by humans, such as photographs, archival documents, decorative and fine arts, clothing, domestic possessions, toys, tools, machines, motion pictures and videotape, ethnographic materials, archaeological remains, and architecture.

• The MS in Art Conservation is offered in collaboration with the Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.  It is a three-year course leading to a Master of Science in Art Conservation. The curriculum is designed to educate and train conservation professionals who can carry out the examination, analysis, stabilization and treatment of art and artifacts, speak to general principles of collection care, and have a broad academic background in science and the humanities.

• The PhD  program in Preservation Studies is in collaboration with the Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware.  The Preservation Studies Program (PSP) is an interdisciplinary doctoral course of study that will teach the philosophies, research methodologies, and policies informing preservation efforts focused on art, architecture, landscapes, and material culture. It is distinct from other discipline-based courses of graduate study in that it provides a mechanism to combine cross-field expertise toward doctoral study in preservation. The PSP prepares students to address questions regarding individual objects and works of art, collections, buildings and structures, and sites and landscapes.  The Preservation Studies doctoral program builds on unique and distinguished programs at the University of Delaware and is administered within the College of Arts and Sciences. The PSP may involve collaboration with faculty and physical resources in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Agriculture, Engineering, Human Services, Education, and Public Policy, Marine Studies, and the Winterthur Museum (which is already a collaborative partner with the University of Delaware for two graduate programs related to this new Ph.D. program).

• The Master of Arts in Historic Preservation prepares professionals for the successful practice of historic preservation in public, private, and non-profit venues.  Students are prepared in the theory and practice of historic preservation.  The specific skills that will be developed are: analysis and documentation of historic resources, practice of preservation planning, contextual research design, and advocacy. The program is designed to meet the needs of both traditional graduate students and working professionals, with graduates having the skills and knowledge to work with a wide variety of populations and in diverse settings.  The program provides opportunity to pursue specific areas of emphasis within historic preservation, including (but not limited to): planning, museum studies, material culture, documentation and analysis, non-profit leadership, vernacular architecture and landscapes, geographic information systems, and design.

Denver University offers several degrees that prepare students for working in a museum environment: a BFA in Pre-Art Conservation, an MA in Anthropology with a concentration in Museum and Heritage Studies, or an MA in Art History with a concentration in museum studies. 

The course of study to earn a BFA in Pre-Art Conservation students desiring to enter graduate programs to train to become art conservators or to enter an art materials safty profession. It requires intensive work in chemistry, languages, art history and studio art, as well as training in the senior year under the supervision of the chief conservator at the Denver Art Museum. One semester in Florence, Italy during the junior year is highly recommended in order to continue conservation studies under the conservators at Studio Art Centers International.  Students participate in the group BFA exhibition at the conclusion of their studies.

Both the Anthropology and Art History Museum Studies Concentration programs have joint course offerings in conservation, information technology, and museum management. Both programs benefit from institutional ties between DU and the Denver Art Museum and Denver Museum of Nature and Science, providing students with research, internship and job opportunities. Other Denver-area museums and cultural organizations offer ampleinternship and job opportunities.

The majority of students seeking an MA in Art History choose to complete the museum studies concentration. Alumni have gone on to diverse and rewarding careers in the museum world. Our partnership with the Denver Art Museum forms a central part of the museum studies program.

Candidates for an M.A. degree in Anthropology with a concentration in MHS are expected to achieve graduate competence in anthropology as a whole, along with their specialization in MHS.  Ideally, we train students to be practicing anthropologists in museums and related cultural institutions.  Both generalist and specialist training in museum and heritage studies are provided for students interested in working in different sizes and types of museums, cultural institutions, archaeological and heritage sites.  The program's goal is to train museum professionals, but to also provide students with an understanding of the larger sociocultural, economic, and political contexts in which museums exist and how they influence museums and museum practices.  The Museum Studies concentration in the Department of Anthropology prepares students to be both scholars and practitioners. The program rests on the philosophy that anthropology should be in service to both science and the public, and that cultural work is an essential and valuable part of social life. Students are trained, both academically and professionally, to meet the many challenges of cultural work in contemporary society.

Program offers a Master's of Science in Museum and Field Studies, as well as a Professional Certificate option for museum professionals and graduate students in other departments.  Not only does a student choose a track in either Public/Administration or Collections/Field, he or she also chooses a cognate in which to focus; examples are anthropology, art, architecture, botany, paleontology, zoology. 

JFK University offers three distinguished Museum Studies programs:

• The Master of Arts is the preferred credential and recommended for students who intend to pursue a full-time career in the museum field.
• The MA and MBA dual degree is recommended for students interested in deepening their knowledge and skills in museum leadership and management.
• The program’s certificate option is designed for professionals who have extensive experience in the field and do not require a master’s degree.

The Museum Studies program at JFK University is one of the nation’s most recognized museum studies programs and is committed to preparing museum professionals to meet the demands of an increasingly complex profession. Today’s museum professionals must have the knowledge and skills to serve diverse audiences, create collaborative partnerships with communities, design innovative exhibitions and programs, and develop a sustainable financial base of support.

The curriculum covers a wide range of issues and provides fundamental skills while challenging students to critically analyze and creatively reform museums for a diverse society. The training is applicable to all types of museums, historical sites, natural parks, and cultural and discovery centers.

All Museum Studies students are required to complete one or more internships to put their classroom knowledge to practice. Recent internship sites include the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand, the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage,  the Walt Disney Family Museum, among others.  A list of recent student internships and alumni positions is included under "Related Downloads" on the right.

All Museum Studies faculty members are practicing professionals. Their ranks include conservators, registrars/collections managers, educators, exhibit designers, and museum administrators. Students have close contact with other experts in the field through museum visits, guest speakers, and internships. During the academic year professionals from many of the more than 250 Bay Area museums work with JFK University students.

The Master of Arts Program is highly practical, building upon students' previous academic studies in Anthropology, Art History, Classics & Classical Archaeology, Design, Education, History, the Sciences, Public Administration, or related disciplines. Find out more about us by accessing the left sidebar links.

The Program also explores alternatives to museum employment in a variety of professional contexts such as: private galleries, city/state arts commissions, historical associations, auction houses, libraries with exhibition programs, corporate galleries and museums, private art collections, archives, civic art centers, science centers, planetaria, natural history/environmental education centers, and living collections.

Students working toward a M.A. or Ph.D. in Cultural Studies may choose to complete a concentration in Museum Studies. The master's and doctoral degrees in Cultural Studies with a concentration in Museum studies gives students the opportunity to participate in multidisciplinary graduate work within the humanities and between the humanities, social sciences, and management. Students learn about the history and political role of museums, the interpretation and display of a wide variety of cultural productions, and topics of special concern to museums as cultural organizations. The program emphasizes critical, theoretical, and practice-related developments in the ever-changing field of museums, exhibitions, and sites of public memory. Students will acquire the knowledge and expertise to meet the challenges confronting arts and cultural organizations today.

Students are trained in both field-based work and text-based work. This convergence of methods produces a fully engaged analysis of culture. Outstanding research topics that have recently emerged from CGU's Cultural Studies Department include: Video Art and Documentary Production; Representing the Holocaust in Contemporary Jewish Museums; Sociology of Art; Critical Theories of Space and Geography; Afro-feminism; Asian American Political and Social Movements; Hip-hop Culture, Gender Studies, and Ethnography.